Jatu

She’ll never forget feeling beautiful again.

Jatu didn’t know how old she was. Her playful grin and, bright pink polka dot nail polish seemed to place her somewhere in the early stages of adolescence.

A young bride, Jatu told how after two years of marriage, she became pregnant, the pride of her parents and husband. But a long, tragic labour left her with a stillborn child, incontinence and despair.

And so Jatu joined the estimated 2 million women in Africa who suffer with the condition known as vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF), a condition in which obstructed labour causes a hole to form between the bladder and vagina. Good obstetric care could prevent it, one simple operation could heal it, and yet most women suffer for decades, silent and alone.

Jatu’s father-in-law heard about a Mercy Ship and the possibility of a free operation onboard. After attending the upcountry medical screening in Mattru, Jatu received an appointment card and the assurance that the ship could give her the operation she needed. She had hope after only months of living with VVF.

“I was nervous to come to the ship. But I am sure I will get healing here,” Jatu said. And Jatu did find healing. No longer incontinent, she left the ship to return to her husband and family.